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Monday, July 30, 2012

Stacey Wallace Benefiel Meets a Japanese Dock

When Amanda asked me if I'd like to write a guest post for Under-the-Sea-palooza, I thought it was serendipity, as I'd just returned from my annual family vacation on the Oregon coast.

Normally, I wouldn't think about posting my vacation pictures on someone else's blog, but this year at the beach was particularly interesting. The Oregon coast is, tsunami-wise, lined up with the north-east coast of Japan. When the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami occurred in northern Japan in March 2011, people all along the west coast of the U.S. were evacuated. Fortunately, we never saw more than slightly higher waves.

Until now.

Several months ahead of when scientists predicted, debris from Japan is washing up on our beaches. The largest of which is a dock.

Agate beach saw 10,000 more visitors than normal the first weekend after the dock appeared

The dock was able to float across the Pacific Ocean

The dock was able to float across the Pacific Ocean due to its Styrofoam core

The barnacles were tested for radiation and then blow torched from the dock before the public was allowed to get near it.

The barnacles were tested for radiation and then blow torched from the dock before the public was allowed to get near it

Our visit to see the dock was surreal. First off, the walk out to it is about a half mile across small sand dunes. Secondly, the beach was more packed than I'd ever seen it and no one was playing in the waves - everyone was just making their way to THE DOCK. It felt like an alien craft had landed and we were all being drawn to the ship.

Once there, the group mentality continued.

1. Walk around it.
2. Touch it.
3. Get your photo taken with it. (Ours is going to be our Christmas card this year.)
4. Marvel at the power of the ocean and how something so gigantic floated so far.
5. Feel awkward about being excited about a dock when so many people lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami.
6. Realize you're standing in front of a piece of history.

Thanks to my husband, Rob Benefiel, for letting me use his photos. The ones I took all sucked

I hope you've enjoyed looking at my photos and hearing about one of the stranger things I did on my summer vacation.

Hey, thanks for commenting! I guess the kids these days aren't as into Japanese docks and radioactive barnacles as they used to be. :) I meant to give away some books, but forgot to put that in the post. Alas.

Wow, it's hard to believe something so big made it so far. It's definitely something you'll always remember. Such a sad event, but it definitely reminds us all of the power of nature. Thanks for sharing your experience.

OMG Stacey! How amazing. I saw this on the news here in Portland. Its crazy how you got to see it. A dock seems kinda huge to be called debris! LoLz...there must be another word for this kind of thing:) Great to see you last weekend at the book festival. Take care! Rob took great pics. The tsunami hit Santa Cruz...[just north of me] and really did a number on the harbor there.